Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism

Author : Aaron P. Proffitt
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 468 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2023-04-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780824893804

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Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism by Aaron P. Proffitt Pdf

What, if anything, is Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism? In 1224, the medieval Japanese scholar-monk Dōhan (1179–1252) composed The Compendium on Esoteric Mindfulness of Buddha (Himitsu nenbutsu shō), which begins with another seemingly simple question: Why is it that practitioners of mantra and meditation rely on the recitation of the name of the Buddha Amitābha? To answer this question, Dōhan explored diverse areas of study spanning the whole of the East Asian Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Although contemporary scholars often study Esoteric Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism as if they were mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed schools of Buddhism, in the present volume Aaron Proffitt examines Dōhan’s Compendium in the context of the eastward flow of Mahayana Buddhism from India to Japan and uncovers Mahayana Buddhists employing multiple, overlapping, so-called “esoteric” approaches along the path to awakening. Proffitt divides his study into two parts. In Part I he considers how early Buddhologists, working under colonialism, first constructed Mahayana Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism as discrete fields of inquiry. He then surveys the flow of Indian Buddhist spells, dhāraṇī, and mantra texts into China and Japan and the diverse range of Buddhist masters who employed these esoteric techniques to achieve rebirth in Sukhāvatī, the Pure Land of Bliss. In Part II, he considers the life of Dōhan and analyzes the monk’s comprehensive view of buddhānusmṛti as a form of ritual technology that unified body and mind, Sukhāvatī as a this-worldly or other-worldly soteriological goal synonymous with nirvana itself, and the Buddha Amitābha as an object of devotion beyond this world of suffering. The work concludes with the first full translation of Dōhan’s Himitsu nenbutsu shō into a modern language.

Author : Richard Karl Payne
Publisher : Institute of Buddhist Studies
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : Religion
ISBN : IND:30000124592001

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Path of No Path by Richard Karl Payne Pdf

Roger Corless (1938-2007) pursued his own path, one he described as a path with heart. This enabled him to bring new perspectives to the study of Buddhism in general and Pure Land in particular. Honoring his life and his contribution to the field, this collection brings together ten essays by his colleagues and friends. These articles cover a range of topics, from the practice of Pure Land to its historical transmission and its contemporary interpretation. Contributors include Harvey Aronson, Gordon Bermant, Alfred Bloom, Ruben Habito, Charles Jones, Charles Orzech, Richard Payne, Charles Prebish, James Sanford, and Kenneth Tanaka, as well as a remembrance by one of Corless's students, Arthur Holder. As is only appropriate in memory of a pioneer in the field of Pure Land Buddhist studies, this work itself contributes to the further development of research and interpretation of the tradition.

Author : Georgios T. Halkias
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 370 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2012-09-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780824837747

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Luminous Bliss by Georgios T. Halkias Pdf

With an annotated English translation and critical analysis of the Orgyan-gling gold manuscript of the short Sukhāvativyūha-sūtra Pure Land Buddhism as a whole has received comparatively little attention in Western studies on Buddhism despite the importance of “buddha-fields” (pure lands) for the growth and expression of Mahāyāna Buddhism. In this first religious history of Tibetan Pure Land literature, Georgios Halkias delves into a rich collection of literary, historical, and archaeological sources to highlight important aspects of this neglected pan-Asian Buddhist tradition. He clarifies many of the misconceptions concerning the interpretation of “other-world” soteriology in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and provides translations of original Tibetan sources from the ninth century to the present that represent exoteric and esoteric doctrines that continue to be cherished by Tibetan Buddhists for their joyful descriptions of the Buddhist path. The book is informed by interviews with Tibetan scholars and Buddhist practitioners and by Halkias’ own participant-observation in Tibetan Pure Land rituals and teachings conducted in Europe and the Indian subcontinent. Divided into three sections, Luminous Bliss shows that Tibetan Pure Land literature exemplifies a synthesis of Mahāyāna sutra-based conceptions with a Vajrayana world-view that fits progressive and sudden approaches to the realization of Pure Land teachings. Part I covers the origins and development of Pure Land in India and the historical circumstances of its adaptation in Tibet and Central Asia. Part II offers an English translation of the short Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra (imported from India during the Tibetan Empire) and contains a survey of original Tibetan Pure Land scriptures and meditative techniques from the dGe-lugs-pa, bKa’-brgyud, rNying-ma, and Sa-skya schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Part III introduces some of the most innovative and popular mortuary cycles and practices related to the Tantric cult of Buddha Amitābha and his Pure Land from the Treasure traditions in the bKa’-brgyud and rNying-ma schools. Luminous Bliss locates Pure Land Buddhism at the core of Tibet’s religious heritage and demonstrates how this tradition constitutes an integral part of both Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism.

Author : Charles B. Jones
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2021-05-18
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781611808902

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Pure Land by Charles B. Jones Pdf

An introductory guide to the beliefs and key concepts of Pure Land Buddhism, the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in East Asia. Pure Land is a brief introduction to the history and practices of Pure Land Buddhism, a popular and growing global tradition. Pure Land practices center on Amitābha Buddha, rebirth in his pure buddha-land, and the guaranteed attainment of buddhahood. It constitutes the dominant tradition of most Buddhists in East Asia and is the most common form of practice within immigrant Buddhist communities in America, yet it remains elusive to many general readers of Buddhism. This brief introduction summarizes the core teachings of this tradition and charts its growth throughout the world. Part of the Buddhist Foundations series, Pure Land covers the spiritual tenets behind the tradition before describing how prayer and devotion to Amitābha allow for rebirth in a realm free from suffering and ideal for progress on the path to enlightenment. It then outlines specific Pure Land practices, all the while providing historical context to account for its widespread popularity throughout East Asia. The author also covers contemporary Pure Land traditions, providing a useful touch point for modern readers. Pure Land practitioners and readers interested in Asian-American Buddhist communities now have a concise guide to the ideas, practices, and origins of this widely popular spiritual tradition.

Author : Dennis Hirota
Publisher : SUNY Press
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2000-03-31
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0791445291

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Toward a Contemporary Understanding of Pure Land Buddhism by Dennis Hirota Pdf

Explores the potential significance of Japanese Pure Land Buddhist Thought in the contemporary world, and provides a new model of interreligious dialogue as Buddhist thinkers engage with Christian theologians concerned with the present-day significance of their own tradition.

Author : Georgios T. Halkias,Richard K. Payne
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 808 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2019-03-31
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780824877149

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Pure Lands in Asian Texts and Contexts by Georgios T. Halkias,Richard K. Payne Pdf

This diverse anthology of original Buddhist texts in translation provides a historical and conceptual framework that will transform contemporary scholarship on Pure Land Buddhism and instigate its recognition as an essential field of Buddhist studies. Traditional and contemporary primary sources carefully selected from Buddhist cultures across historical, geopolitical, and literary boundaries are organized by genre rather than chronologically, geographically, or by religious lineage—a novel juxtaposition that reveals their wider importance in fresh contexts. Together these fundamental texts from different Asian traditions, expertly translated by eminent and up-and-coming scholars, illustrate that the Buddhism of pure lands is not just an East Asian cult or a marginal type of Buddhism, but a pan-Asian and deeply entrenched religious phenomenon. The volume is organized into six parts: Ritual Practices, Contemplative Visualizations, Doctrinal Expositions, Life Writing and Poetry, Ethical and Aesthetic Explications, and Worlds beyond Sukhāvatī. Each part is introduced and summarized, and each translated piece is prefaced by its translator to supply historical and sectarian context as well as insight into the significance of the work. Common and less-common issues of practice, doctrine, and intra-religious transfer are explored, and deeper understandings of the meaning of “pure lands” are gained through the study of the celestial, cosmological, internal, and earthly pure lands associated with various buddhas, bodhisattvas, and devotional figures. The introduction by the volume editors ties the diverse themes of the book together and provides a historical background to Pure Land Buddhist studies. Scholars of Buddhism and Asian religion, including graduate and post-graduate students, as well as Buddhist practitioners, will appreciate the range of translated materials and accompanied discussions made accessible in one essential collection, the first of its kind to center on the formerly-neglected topic of Buddhist pure lands.

Author : Chih I (Patriarch) , T'ien Ju (Zen Master), Thich Thi'en Tam(Dharma Master)
Publisher : The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2024-06-06
Category : Religion
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Pure Land Buddhism - Dialogues with Ancient Masters by Chih I (Patriarch) , T'ien Ju (Zen Master), Thich Thi'en Tam(Dharma Master) Pdf

Buddhism, as a major religion and a way of life, is the subject of numerous books and commentaries. Yet the kernel of its teachings can be expressed in two major concepts: purity of Mind and practice. Traditional Pure Land teachings emphasize the three elements of Faith, Vows and Practice (Buddha Recitation) as the essential conditions for rebirth in the Pure Land -- in the Pure Mind. This approach is presented as the easiest, most expedient path for the majority of people in this day and age. These teachings are in harmony with other Pure Land traditions, such as Jodo Shinshu, in which shinjin, Faith, is ultimately defined as Mind -- the True Mind, encompassing Vows and Practice (Sanshin Jsshin). Pure Land is also in line with Zen, which sees all teachings as expedients, "fingers pointing to the moon" -­ the moon being the True Mind, the Mind of Thusness, always bright, pure and unchanging. In the same vein, the Dhammapada Sutra, a key text of the Theravada School, summarizes the teachings of the Buddha with the words: "Do not what is evil. Do what is good. Keep your Mind pure. Yet, purity of Mind cannot be achieved by study and verbalization alone. It can be attained only through determined practice. There is a story concerning the famous Chinese official and poet Po Chu-i which illustrates this point. One day, the official, passing along the road, saw a Zen monk seated on the branch of a tree preaching the Dharma. The following dialogue ensued: Official: "Old man, what are you doing in that tree, in such a precarious position? One misstep, and you will fall to your death!" Monk: "I dare say, Your Lordship, that your own position is even more precarious. If I make a misstep, I alone may be killed; if you make a misstep, it can cost the lives of thousands." Official: "Not a bad reply. I'll tell you what. If you can explain the essence of Buddhism to me in one sentence, I'll become your disciple. Otherwise, we will go our separate ways, never to meet again." Monk: "What an easy question! Listen! The essence of Buddhism is to do no evil, do what is good, and keep your Mind pure." Official: "ls that all there is to it? Even a child of eight realizes that!" Monk: "True, a child of eight may realize it, but, even a man of eighty cannot practice it!" Buddhism is Mind, Buddhism is practice -- it is praxis.•

Author : Charles Orzech,Henrik Sørensen,Richard Payne
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 1223 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2011
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789004184916

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Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia by Charles Orzech,Henrik Sørensen,Richard Payne Pdf

This volume, the result of an international collaboration of forty scholars, provides a comprehensive resource on Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in their Chinese, Korean, and Japanese contexts from the first few centuries of the common era to the present.

Author : Kenneth K. Tanaka
Publisher : State University of New York Press
Page : 340 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 1990-08-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781438421834

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The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine by Kenneth K. Tanaka Pdf

Author : Charles B. Jones
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2019-09-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780824881016

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Chinese Pure Land Buddhism by Charles B. Jones Pdf

Chinese Pure Land Buddhism: Understanding a Tradition of Practice is the first book in any western language to provide a comprehensive overview of Chinese Pure Land Buddhism. Even though Pure Land Buddhism was born in China and currently constitutes the dominant form of Buddhist practice there, it has previously received very little attention from western scholars. In this book, Charles B. Jones examines the reasons for the lack of scholarly attention and why the few past treatments of the topic missed many of its distinctive features. He argues that the Chinese Pure Land tradition, with its characteristic promise of rebirth in the Pure Land to even non-elite or undeserving practitioners, should not be viewed from the perspective of the Japanese Pure Land tradition, which differs greatly. More accurately contextualizing Chinese Pure Land Buddhism within the landscape of Chinese Buddhism and the broader global Buddhist tradition, this work celebrates Chinese Pure Land, not as a school or sect, but as a unique and inherently valuable “tradition of practice.” This volume is organized thematically, clearly presenting topics such as the nature of the Pure Land, the relationship between “self-power” and “other-power,” the practice of nianfo (buddha-recollection), and the formation of the line of “patriarchs” that keep the tradition grounded. It guides us in understanding the vigorous debates that Chinese Pure Land Buddhism evoked and delves into the rich apologetic literature that it produced in its own defense. Drawing upon a wealth of previously unexamined primary source materials, as well as modern texts by contemporary Chinese Pure Land masters, the author provides lucid translations of resources previously unavailable in English. He also shares his lifetime of experience in this field, enlivening the narrative with personal anecdotes of his visits to sites of Pure Land practice in China and Taiwan. The straightforward and nontechnical prose makes this book a standby resource for anyone interested in pursuing research in this lively, sophisticated, and still-evolving religious tradition. Scholars—including undergraduates—specializing in East Asian Buddhism, as well as those interested in Buddhism or Chinese religion and history in general, will find this book invaluable.

Author : Master Chu-hung and Master Tsung-pen
Publisher : Amitabha Buddhist Society of Central Florida
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2024-06-06
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Pure Land, Pure Mind by Master Chu-hung and Master Tsung-pen Pdf

In what appears to be a long time ago, in the summer of 1990, a friend drew our attention to a manuscript anthologizing the teachings of two eminent Chinese masters of the sixteenth century. We recall reading through the text with keen interest, hoping that it would soon become widely available. • The matter then skipped our minds as we busied ourselves, in the intervening years, with editing and publishing the four-volume Pure Land Series of the Sutra Translation Committee. One thing leading to another, in early 1993, we were reminded of the manuscript, still unpublished at the time, and opened discussions in earnest with the translator, Dr. J.C. Cleary. One more year would go by, however, before the matter was finally settled, thanks in large part to the assistance of Master Lok To and Mr. Lee Tsu-ku. Causes and conditions having finally met, we believe that the reader will find Dr. Cleary's translation a lucid and inspiring text on Pure Land - a Buddhist tradition widely followed in Asia but little known in the West. The present volume contains Dr. Cleary's original manuscript, except for the section on Master Chu-hung's "Answers to Forty-Eight Questions on the Pure Land," which is being considered for a separate publication. Transcription of names is in the Wade-Giles system to conform to other works in this Pure Land Series. *** To those pressed for time and hungry for solace, Buddha Sakyamuni left behind a treasure trove of 84,000 Dharma gems. All of them are rare, exquisite and priceless, beyond mankind's deepest and wildest dreams; Whatever gem strikes your fancy, be it the brilliant Zen diamond or the fiery Esoteric ruby, do not forget the translucent green jade of Pure Land, bestowed upon Sudhana - the quintessential seeker of the Way. In the words of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, Sudhana's fifty­ third and last teacher in the Avatamsaka Sutra: The supreme and endless blessings of Samantabhadra's deeds, I now universally transfer. May every living being, drowning and adrift, Soon return to the Land of Limitless Light -· of Amitabha Buddha!

Author : Richard K. Payne
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 322 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780861714872

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Tantric Buddhism in East Asia by Richard K. Payne Pdf

Although Indian and Tibetan versions of tantric Buddhism are increasingly recognized, the East Asian variations on this practice remain largely overlooked. The only book to present the entire breadth of tantric Buddhism in East Asia, this collection remedies that situation with 12 key essays drawn from rare sources. Organized into four sections--China and Korea, Japan, Deities and Practices, and Influences on Japanese Religion--the book brings together a "critical mass" of scholarship, with the potential to create a sea change in the understanding of this subject

Author : Richard Karl Payne,Kenneth Kazuo Tanaka
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 328 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2004-01-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0824825780

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Approaching the Land of Bliss by Richard Karl Payne,Kenneth Kazuo Tanaka Pdf

The discourse of Buddhist studies has traditionally been structured around texts and nations (the transmission of Buddhism from India to China to Japan). And yet, it is doubtful that these categories reflect in any significant way the organizing themes familiar to most Buddhists. It could be argued that cultic practices associated with particular buddhas and bodhisattvas are more representative of the way Buddhists conceive of their relation to tradition. This volume aims to explore this aspect of Buddhism by focusing on one of its most important cults, that of the Buddha Amitabha. Approaching the Land of Bliss is a rich collection of studies of texts and ritual practices devoted to Amitabha, ranging from Tibet to Japan and from early medieval times to the present.

Author : Peter Johnson
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2020-06-11
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 179234208X

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The Land of Pure Bliss by Peter Johnson Pdf

Author : Alfred Percy Sinnett
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 1884
Category : Buddha (The concept)
ISBN : STANFORD:36105038434184

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Esoteric Buddhism by Alfred Percy Sinnett Pdf